Dr. Critchlore's School for Minions

February 23, 2015
Twelve-year-old Runt Higgins feels cursed. Between being cast out from his werewolf pack, failing in his bid to become a junior-henchman-in-training, and being trailed by Pismo (an annoying newbie who keeps getting Runt in trouble), nothing about the new school year at Dr. Critchlore's School for Minions is going his way. Worse still, it seems like someone is trying to sabotage the school. In this series opener, first-time novelist Grau turns familiar tropes upside-down in a realm where working for an evil overlord is the highest of honors. Goofy characters like Frankie, a minion whose head pops off every time he's overcome with emotion, come to ghoulish life in Sutphin's dynamic b&w illustrations. Runt's hapless attempts to do the right thing make him easily relatable amid themes of conquering self-doubt, wrestling with perfectionism (as one character puts it, "You can't get upset about what you're not"), and searching for a place to belong, whether it's with a family bound by blood or one created in a lab. Ages 8â12. Author's agent: Molly Ker Hawn, Bent Agency.

December 15, 2014
Will assaults from within and without close a renowned school for minions-leaving the Evil Overlords of the world to draw from rival schools? Not if Runt Higgins, newest addition to the exclusive Junior Henchman Training program, has anything to say about it. The deck looks stacked, though. A devastating video of panicked Critchlore grads fleeing a group of (apparent!) Girl Explorers has gone viral, and an ongoing string of near disasters prevents recovery. Not only that, a massive explosion in the local graveyard has robbed the school of its chief source of undead new students. Even worse, iron-willed headmaster Dr. Derek Critchlore has suddenly taken to distractedly watching TV soaps and is in danger of being replaced. Kind, thoughtful and so naive that he's continually being victimized by pranksters, Runt really isn't henchman material-but significant clues and loose ends hint that he'll be achieving a higher station in planned sequels. Moreover, Grau supplies him with loyal friends from half-ogre foster brother Boris to bolt-necked Frank Twenty-five, whose head tends to fly off in a shower of gore when he's upset. Frequent side jokes and Sutphin's accomplished caricatures of students, faculty and staff, both human and non-, add comical flourishes. A droll addition to the magical school genre, worthy of a seat toward the front of the (Harry) Potter-wagon. (pictorial cast list) (Fantasy. 11-13)

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January 1, 2015

Gr 4-6-Runt Higgins is a werewolf. Well, sort of. He swears he turned once when he was seven, but his canines just won't come in. Luckily, Runt attends Dr. Critchlore's School for Minions, where "Slow and steady wins the race, if you have minions to sabotage your opponent." In her debut, Grau introduces a contemporary fantasy world that is a perfect blend of Hogwarts and Monsters University. Readers learn quickly, however, that all is not well in minion-land. Something is amiss at the School, and Runt is sniffing out the trouble. Backed by a humorous band of friends-Syke the half-nymph, Eloni the troll, and Frank 25, who can't keep his head on straight (literally)-Runt is on a mission to expose the evildoers sabotaging his school. Dr. Critcholore's is well paced, despite an overly pat resolution, complete with twists, red herrings, and zombies. The narrative is sometimes distracted by an overuse of canine-inspired expletives ("Dog Whistles!"), and readers are likely to be skeptical of the just-add-water friendship that blossoms in the last few chapters, but the humor alone keeps this one going. If readers still need convincing, just turn to one of the fantastic illustrations of zombies. Recommended for advanced elementary school readers and reluctant middle graders, this will appeal to a wide audience.-Taylor Worley, Springfield Public Library, OR

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2015
Grades 4-6 Runt Higgins is beginning his third year as a minion-in-training at the eponymous school, and his year is not getting off to an auspicious start. Nothing goes right for him: he serves serial detentions for tardiness; imps are making his life miserable; he has to herd zombies by whining at them; and his junior henchman trainee status is threatened by a competition to whittle the pool to five. Worse than that, a saboteur is attacking the school, and Runt, who was abandoned as a toddler at the school, is determined to protect the only home he has ever known. The plot thickens quickly as Runt and his friends race to unravel it. Grau keeps her readers guessing who the big bad is, and the answer may surprise them. Characters are drawn broadly and deftly in a matter-of-fact way and bring to mind cheesy but fun movies. The loopy cartoonlike illustrations highlight the story perfectly. Put this book to work with Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl books or the H.I.V.E. series, by Mark Walden.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)